Exisle Publishing

Despite being oceans apart,Tug and Ship are connected by strong bonds in Anchored, a tale of love and connection told through the relationship of a tugboat and a cargo ship.

Debra Tidball was inspired to write Anchored by the watercraft she observed on harbourvside walks, especially the tugboats that send huge ships out into the open ocean and welcome them back again after long, sometimes perilous journeys. ‘As a parent, it made me think about the sustaining power of love — how holding someone in your heart can make you more courageous, and make the world seem like a better, brighter place despite not being together.’

With her social work background and Masters Qualification in Children’s Literature, Debra understands the vital role attachment plays in child development. In a world where many parents are separated from their children for periods of time due to work and/or living arrangements, a sense of attachment can feel stretched. Anchored is a reassuring book reminding children that their attachment with their parents/caregivers can sustain time apart: they are firmly anchored in each other’s hearts.

Anchored honors the intrinsic value and worth of a child and the sustaining power of love. It’s an empowering story that will give children a sense of pride and strength to get through the ‘missing you’ days.

A perfect gift for any young musician! Violin & Cello celebrates musical friends — with a bonus duet of ‘The Mystery Friends’ for young violinists and cellists to play now! Children will love this heart-warming story about making music with friends. Violin & Cello follows two young musicians as they discover the secret to who is practising in the apartment next door! This picture book is perfect for young readers beginning to learn an instrument, particularly violin or cello, and for every parent or teacher helping them along the way. Catherine Greer’s delightful story of musical friends and Joanna Bartel’s intricate, detailed illustrations explore the lives of two young musicians — a violinist and a cellist — who live with their families in a large city. Award-winning Australian composer, Alexander Lau, has composed an original duet for violin and cello, ‘The Mystery Friends’. The score for the allegro and adagio movements of ‘The Mystery Friends’ are printed in the book. This beautiful composition is simple enough to be played by young cellists and violinists. Readers of every age are sure to shout ‘Encore!’ when they experience this joyful celebration of friendship and classical music.

Find out how reading just one book can lead to a brand-new library in this lively chain-reaction story about actions and their consequences – however unintended they may be! Violet has searched her room high and low, but just can’t find a book she hasn’t read before. She wishes her town had a library a magical place full of adventure where she would never run out of stories to discover. But alas, on this particular rainy day, the only unfamiliar book she can find is the one propping up the kitchen table. Dad won’t miss it, right?... With a CLATTER and a CRASH, Violet’s actions set in motion an unstoppable chain of events that soon has the whole town in chaos! Young readers will delight at the playful, colourful illustrations, while learning an important lesson about how actions lead to consequences. The story also introduces children to the wonder of libraries, while highlighting their vital role in fostering literacy. One Book Was All it Took is the perfect tongue-in-cheek adventure story to share with budding bookworms. From the hilarity of the chaos that Violet causes, to the heart-warming reminder of the important role libraries have played in many of our lives, readers of all ages will find joy in this vibrant book. It is also an excellent introduction to the concept of how our actions can affect others, an important lesson for all young ones – especially Violet!

The world of the sandy seabed is brought to life in Meet Mim, the story of one of the natural world’s masters of disguise — the mimic octopus. Sandra Severgnini sets up a delightful guessing game for the reader while showcasing the abilities of this little-known creature. The mimic octopus can change color, shape and skin texture in all kinds of amazing ways. It deters predators by shapeshifting into creatures that are known to be poisonous, such as the spiked lionfish and the banded sea snake. It can even imitate jellyfish and sea stars. This book is for everyone from inquisitive little people who love nature to adults who can still be fascinated. Budding marine biologists will delight in the wealth of accurate detail presented in the illustrations. Adult and child readers alike will be left with a new appreciation for the life in our precious yet threatened marine environments.

Ruby buys a pen that gives her the power to fix all of her problems, only to discover that power comes with its own problems.

Ruby and the Pen is the story of a 12-year-old, cartoon-drawing girl who buys a pen from a mysterious market stall. The pen has a magical power: whatever she draws, happens! Initially the pen protects Ruby from the meanest girls at her new school, but over time the pen’s power becomes dangerous. Soon Ruby faces a difficult choice — the pen or her best friend.

As Ruby struggles to wean herself off the pen, she’s faced with problems galore. Can she foil her headmaster’s evil plan, and save an endangered species of bird in the process, relying on her own talents and working as a team with her friends? Or will she succumb to the pen’s power?

Featuring hilarious illustrations, and with messages about bullying, teamwork and the environment, this is fast-paced, entertaining middle grade fiction that will resonate with kids everywhere. After all, who wouldn’t want to fix all of their problems with the stroke of a pen!

Warring brothers Max and Liam find themselves trapped in a time-travel game. Can they survive the dangers and solve the riddles without killing each other? 

Gaming-obsessed Max and his infuriating younger brother, Liam, are forced to work together when a new game on Miss McBoob’s mobile phone sucks them into a time-travelling vortex. The ‘Glitched’ app transports the brothers to earlier versions of their home town where they find themselves in the Stone Age, in Roman times, in the Middle Ages and in the age of the dinosaurs. To return to their own time they must solve riddles while dodging woolly mammoths, jousting knights and all manner of bodily fluids, both human and animal! 

Author and illustrator Emily Snape’s sons were both reluctant readers, which made her want to write books they could not resist reading! Reading should be a pleasure and it was Emily’s aim to write books that pull you in and hook you from the start. ‘Hopefully, then you can’t help being moved by the characters as they grow and develop. I love comedy in books, but funny books also have to have heart, believable characters, and a great plot that keeps you reading till the very end.’

With a clever mix of realism and fantasy and packed with historically accurate settings, crazy scenarios and gross facts, Game On: Glitched is perfect for reluctant readers, particularly boys. 

A sensitive, beautifully illustrated book that uses backyard chickens to give a closely observed child’s-eye view of early-onset dementia.

Mama didn’t want chickens, but she grows to love them as her dementia symptoms increase. Her young children see that she doesn’t always act like her old self anymore this upsets both them and the chickens, but Mama always finds ways to show them just how much they are wanted and loved.

Children will relate to the endearing personalities of the chickens, while the award-winning author draws on her own experience to create an entirely age-appropriate story about the impact of early-onset dementia. The result is a supportive, much-needed book about a reality that many families face.

Dementia doesn’t only affect the elderly. Like the parent in the story, people with early-onset dementia may have memory loss, difficulty thinking, trouble recognising people or confusion, or begin acting unlike themselves. Michelle Worthington has had personal experience of all of these symptoms since her diagnosis with Progressive Nonfluent Aphasia (a form of dementia), and hopes her book will help children understand what dementia can look like when their care-giver suffers from it.

Her wish is that the book will initiate open and honest communication and help parents all around the world recognise the symptoms while providing love and support for their children.

Xander buys a pen that gives him the power to improve his familys fortunes, only to discover that power comes with its own problems.

Xander and the Pen is the story of a boy who loves to draw superheroes, and the pen he buys from a mysterious market stall. He soon learns that the pen has a magical power: whatever he draws, happens! At first the pen helps Xander improve his familys fortunes, but there are many unintended consequences and soon everybody is angry at him.

Xander sees that the power of the pen has changed him into somebody his sister and his friends despise. But how else to deal with the bullying Bruise Brothers and solve the mystery of the poisoned llamas? Can Xander win back the respect of his sister and friends without using the pen? Or will he succumb to the temptation of an easy fix?

Featuring hilarious illustrations, and with messages about bullying, family dynamics, disability and the environment, this is fast-paced, entertaining middle grade fiction that will resonate with kids everywhere. After all, who wouldnt want to fix all their problems with the stroke of a pen!

This funny, engaging eco story invites young readers to follow the adventures of Harriet’s ravenous compost worms as they munch their way through their wide and wonderful weekly menu.

Harriet’s nine-hundred-and-eighty-three hungry worms live in a shady corner of her backyard in a big, green box. They spend their days munching on anything from Aunt Tilda’s herbal teabags to the sports pages of Uncle Sam’s paper. Harriet watches and waits, eventually deciding the worms are ‘so BORING.’ Until one day, the worms leave Harriet a big surprise … worm wee!

Packed with worm facts, Harriet’s Hungry Worms is the ideal companion for worm warriors and curious composters keen to roll their sleeves up and put their kitchen food scraps to good use.

Continuing the sustainability message, inventive illustrations incorporating recycled materials bloom from each page, breathing beautiful life into this fun-filled story.

Everyday objects will never seem the same again for Max and Liam as they try to beat the game, and each other.

Gaming-obsessed Max and his infuriating younger brother, Liam, are forced to work together to survive epic adventures on a miniscule scale. When rebellious Liam starts playing Shrinkle on his babysitter's phone, he has no idea what hes letting himself in for. The app shrinks the brothers to the size of a minifigure! Their safe home has suddenly become a treacherous landscape. Can they scale sofa mountain, escape Miss McBoob's snoring mouth and outsmart the now-enormous pet cat? And will they stay tiny forever?

Author and illustrator Emily Snapes sons were both reluctant readers, which made her want to write books that they wouldnt be able to resist reading! Reading should be a pleasure and it was Emilys aim to write books that pull you in and hook you from the start. Hopefully, then you cant help being moved by the characters as they grow and develop. I love comedy in books, but funny books also have to have heart, believable characters, and a great plot that keeps you reading till the very end. With a clever mix of realism and fantasy and packed with exciting gaming strategies, crazy scenarios and gross facts, Game On: Shrinkle is perfect for reluctant readers, particularly boys.

A fun, engaging story, perfect for children learning how to do something for the first time.

Easy Peasy follows Ruby, who has just received her first pair of roller skates as a present from her dad. She’s convinced it will be easy peasy to learn how to roller skate and dismisses her dad when he offers to help her. But after a few tumbles, Ruby realises it isn’t as easy as she thinks and she might need her dad’s help after all.

Author Ky Garvey was initially inspired by her son, who as a little boy loved his skateboard so much that he took it to bed with him every night like a teddy bear. But as she began to write, she remembered the joy of roller skating with her dad at the local rink every Saturday morning. As Ky puts it, ‘It was treasured time together and I wanted to reflect that relationship in my book.’

Easy Peasy will delight skating-mad girls and patient parents while providing a lesson in independence and perseverance. And the hilarious, relatable illustrations by Amy Calautti add an extra dash of shiny, sparkly fun!

Novas Missing Masterpiece uses a girls bond with her dog to address the themes of anger, self-regulation, problem solving, resilience and persistence.

When Nova realizes the artwork that she created for her dads birthday present is missing her tummy flip flops and her heart ker-thumps. She and her dog, Harley turn the house upside down but the missing masterpiece is nowhere to be found. Inevitably, Nova loses her temper. But Harley remains calm. Together, they continue searching for the missing masterpiece and eventually Nova starts to pay attention to Harley and his calming strategies. Just when it seems the artwork will never be found Nova tries one last strategy, which leads her directly to her missing masterpiece!

Learning to self-regulate, persist, problem solve, and be resilient are essential skills that need to be taught and modelled to children to support their social and emotional growth. Novas Missing Masterpiece gives children useful coping strategies to deal with anger and frustration, making the book an invaluable tool for parents, educators, health professionals and counsellors.

With vibrant, well-observed illustrations, this is the perfect story to show children how anger and frustration affect their brains and bodies, and how simple techniques can help them self-regulate and reset.